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Mylara Lingeshwara Temple at Mylara

Mylara (Mailara) Lingeshwara Temple at Mylara
is in the extreme south-western corner of Hadagali taluk, Bellary District, North
Karnataka, India. Situated
2 km from Tungabhadra river and 40 km from Hadagali
and 34 km from Ranebennur. Mylara Lingeshwara is one of
the forms of Shiva. The temple
is dedicated to Shiva in his form as Mailari.

Contents

According to the legend

Mallasura[1] (Demon)
and his brother performed a severe penance
extracted from Brahma, and a
promise that they should never be harmed by any human
being, began to harass the sages or rishis. The sages
appealed the shiva to protect them, Shiva took on a new form[2] and
taking with him his forces to the number of 7
crores goravas, warred with the Demon or Mallasura and his
brother, Manikasura for 10 days and then slew them both with his
bow. During the battle, Mylara (Shiva) lost his powers and had to
run away from the battle field. After a marathon run, Mailari hid
himself in the Tungabhadra river. Then Lord
Veerabhadra, Shiva's aide struck the earth with his long
hair, and five brave warriors (Panchaveeras) (i.e
Kanchaveeras) emerged from the spot. The
Kanchaveeras confronted Mallasura and Manikasura and handed them
over to Mailara. After killing Mallasura and Manikasura, Mailara
(Shiva) wore their intestines as his turban, their
teeth as a cowrie necklace, their mouths as a
damaruga (hand drum), skulls as a
doni (meal bowl) and their skins as a long
coat. The fat of the demons was used as
oil and their nerves as wick for the
lamp.

Karnika Utsava
(Prophecy)

Rituals during the Mailara Jatre (fair) involve the
Karanika Utsava (Bow climbing and prophecy
uttering ritual) and Pavada (Body piercing
ritual). Karanika Utsava is performed by the Karanika
Gorava, who goes through 12 days of
fasting, after which he ascends a 12-meter bow and
utters a euphoric prophecy regarding
regional agriculture, animal husbandry, and
politics.

Karnikotsava Gorava's utterance that tumbida koda mooru
bhaga aadeethale parakh!' meansthe filled
pot may get splitted into three parts at the annual
Karnikotsava means the prophecy...its just like a
puzzle to understand...some are guessing it to b e about our
election future ..and some other about rain and hence crop and to
be careful .... ref>"Thus spake Mylara". http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/02/29/stories/2008022950920100.htm. Retrieved
2008-10-29.</ref>. It
is believed that the saying would indicate the future of
the coming year.

On Karnikotsava day, the devotees converge to
the temple chanting 'elukoti elukoti elukotigo....changmalo
changmalo. "Elu koti" means seven crores commemorating the
seven crore Goravas who accompanied Mailari. By afternoon, a huge
wooden bow, symbolic of that with which Shiva slew
Mallasura, is brought and placed in the middle of a vast
area called Denkana maradi. The
gorava carries the bow from his tent and climbs it
up, stares from the top in the four directions, and then begins
trembling as a sign of divine inspiration, and
the pilgrims wait for his prophecy. Gorava gazes
skywards, before pronouncing the annual
divination. Soon after this he drops down and the devotees
duly hold him. The prophecy is believed to be divine truth by the
devotees.

Goravara
Kunita

Gorava dance (goravara kunita), a dance of the
Shiva cult, is popular in areas of North
Karnataka. The Goravas[3] worship
Mylara linga (Shiva), wear the costume of
black woolen rug, on shoulder hanging bag made out of skin.
Some of them wear a black coat and white dhoti. In
traditional contexts, the Gorava devotees who
dance in trance sometimes bark like dogs. It is believed that the
totem of the Mylaralinga is a dog. The dancers feet move in
clockwise and zigzag forms. Gorava wears yellow powder on his
forehead and gives it to his believed devotees. Artiste holds his
instrument, like damaru (percussion), or sometime
holds kolalu (flute), and a few artists wear a
small bronze bell on their shoulders. A few followers hold cowbells
called paarigante.

This is years karnika by swami is that " THUMIBDA KODA MOORU
BAGHAVADITELYE PARAK" means of that full of water vessel ( used for
store water ) is broken into three parts.- for spiritual meaning
that this year crop,politics and family or ambitions of human
beings which effects be careful.